薬理と治療

Abstract

Objective　To investigate the effects of matured red ginseng extract（MRGE）on subjective shoulder stiffness symptoms in healthy Japanese adults. Methods　A double–blind, placebo–controlled, randomized, parallel–group comparison trial was conducted in 56 participants randomly assigned, via computer, to one of two groups（28 participants per group）. The participants were instructed to consume either MRGE（216 mg/day）–containing food（MRGE group）or a placebo（placebo group）for 12 weeks. The assessment items included a questionnaire to evaluate subjective symptoms（including“My shoulder and neck are stiff”and“My eyes are tired”）associated with visual display terminals（VDT）operation, conducted before and after VDT workload with 60 min. The primary outcome measure was“My shoulder and neck are stiff”following VDT workload at the post–intervention assessment. Results　The efficacy analysis dataset comprised 25 participants from the MRGE and 27 participants from the placebo groups. Compared to the placebo group“, My shoulder and neck are stiff”was significantly lower in the MRGE group, both before and after VDT workload. Moreover, in participants aged≥31 years“, My eyes are tired”was significantly lower in the MRGE group compared to the placebo group following VDT workload. These findings suggest that MRGE effectively alleviated subjective symptoms. No adverse events were observed. Conclusions　The consumption of MRGE significantly alleviated subjective symptoms of shoulder stiffness in healthy Japanese adults experiencing shoulder stiffness due to VDT work （i.e., tasks requiring focus and intensity）.Trial registration　UMIN000047710 Foundation　KIMʼs Korean Ginseng Co., Ltd.（Jpn Pharmacol Ther 2024；52：393‒411）